Mingyu Wu is a dedicated Ph.D. student from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). He was recently honored with the Best Paper Award at the 11th International Conference on Robot Intelligence Technology and Applications (RiTA 2023). The conference was held from December 6th to 8th, 2023, in Taicang, China, and brought together leading researchers and practitioners in the field of robotics. Wu’s paper, titled “Evaluating the Energy Consumption of Path Planning Algorithms: A Comparative Study of A*, Dijkstra, and Probabilistic Roadmap,” marks a pivotal advancement in robotics research, focusing on the crucial aspect of energy efficiency in Automated Mobile Robots (AMR). The research was co-authored with Haoyu Jiang, Che Fai Yeong, and Lee Ming Eileen Su from UTM, as well as Chenguang Yang from the University of the West of England (UWE) and William Holderbaum from Manchester Metropolitan University. This collaboration across institutions and disciplines highlights the success of the research.

Wu completed his master’s degree in the United States and decided to pursue his doctoral studies at UTM, mainly because of the university’s well-known Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIRO) and the opportunity to work under the guidance of Dr. Yeong Che Fai. This decision highlights Wu’s ambition to be at the forefront of robotics research, using UTM’s advanced facilities and Dr. Yeong’s expertise in the field.

Over the past year, Wu has demonstrated exceptional research productivity by authoring and submitting six papers that are indexed in Scopus. Among his notable works is the paper titled “A review on energy efficiency in autonomous mobile robots,” which has been downloaded over 250 times. This paper is also the first Web of Science (WOS)-indexed article in recent years within the AMR field that specifically addresses energy efficiency. Wu’s achievement highlights his significant contribution to the field of sustainable robotics by addressing one of the most pressing challenges in the industry. You can access the full text of this influential review at:  Emerald Insight.

Wu, who is only 25 years old, has achieved remarkable academic and research feats. His success at RiTA 2023, as well as his extensive contribution of high-quality research papers, showcase the excellent standards of scholarship that are upheld at UTM’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering and CAIRO. Additionally, through CAIRO, Wu has established a significant academic network across various countries, such as the United Kingdom (UK), Malaysia, and China. This has enhanced global collaboration, which is crucial for advancing research in robotics and intelligent systems.

This global network comprises collaborations with renowned experts, including Professor Chenguang Yang from the University of Liverpool, UK, and Professor William Holderbaum from Manchester Metropolitan University. Professor Yang, who holds the Chair in Robotics and is a Fellow of multiple prestigious institutions, has led significant advancements in robotic teleoperation and collaborative automation. Professor Holderbaum, who has extensive research experience in control theory applications across health, energy, and robotics, has contributed over 100 papers to leading journals and international conferences. The network also features the distinguished expertise of Professor Shuangxi Chen, who is the Dean of the School of Internet and Cybersecurity at Jiaxing Vocational and Technical College and a project researcher at the Institute of Systems Structure and Network Security at Zhejiang University. Professor Chen specializes in the field of artificial intelligence, and his contributions significantly enrich collaborative research endeavors, adding a crucial layer of AI expertise to Mingyu Wu’s interdisciplinary and international research network.

Mingyu Wu’s achievement at RiTA 2023 is not only a personal victory but also a testament to UTM’s dedication to promoting international research excellence and innovation. His journey from the United States to Malaysia, guided by Dr. Yeong Che Fai, demonstrates the dynamic and supportive environment that UTM offers to its students, enabling them to make meaningful contributions to the global scientific community.